The present invention relates to the introduction of material into cells, e.g., gene transfer. More particularly, the present invention pertains to apparatus and methods utilizing electrospraying techniques for accomplishing such introduction of material into cells.
Various devices and methods for use in genetic transformation of plant and animal cells have been utilized and many others have been described in various publications. For example, a few early techniques for accomplishing the transport of substances, e.g., DNA, into cells, include uptake mechanisms, fusion mechanisms, and microinjection mechanisms. Generally, uptake mechanisms include the use of substances, such as, for example, liposomes, which encapsulate substances and facilitate transfer of the substances to the cell through fusion of the liposomes with the cell membrane, electroporation, calcium chloride precipitation, and the like. These uptake protocols generally are quite simple and allow for treatment of large numbers of cells at one time, but this technique tends to have a very low efficiency, i.e., transformation frequency is low.
Generally, fusion mechanisms incorporate genetic material into a cell by allowing a cell to fuse with a membrane compatible with the cell membrane of the cell. The fusion of two cells can be used for introducing material into a cell. Cell fusion technologies may have better efficiencies than uptake mechanisms, but cell selection can be more complex, and the resulting cells are typically of elevated ploidy, which makes them of limited use.
Microinjection mechanisms typically employ extremely fine, drawn out capillary tubes, which are sometimes micropipettes or needles. These capillary tubes can be made sufficiently small to be used as syringe needles for the direct injection of biological material into certain types of individual cells. When very small cells are to be injected, very sharp capillary tubes are required, whose tips are very easily broken or clogged. High pressures are required to cause bulk flow through the small orifices and regulation of such flow is difficult. A form of microinjection, commonly referred to as ionophoresis, is also used. Ionophoresis utilizes electrophoresis of substances out of a microelectrode and into a cell, as an alternative to high pressure bulk flow. Although efficiency of microinjection, as one might expect is high, transformation of individual cells is by single cell manipulation and therefore treatment of masses of cells is difficult.
More recently, various techniques involving acceleration of substances for bombardment with cells to accomplish gene transfer have been used and described, e.g., gene guns. For example, such techniques include the use of mechanical impact to project such substances, the use of electrostatic acceleration of the substances, and/or the use of electrostatic discharge to project such substances. It has been stated that such techniques allow the substances to attain a velocity enabling them to penetrate cells.
Various forms of accelerating the substances, for example, are described in the gene gun patent to Sanford et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,050 entitled xe2x80x9cMethod for Transforming Substances into Living Cells and Tissues and Apparatus Therefor.xe2x80x9d As described therein, for example, a mechanical shock is applied to a layer of particles (e.g., gold), which are coated, impregnated, or otherwise associated with biological material. The impact causes the particles to be accelerated such that the particles hit the cells to be transformed downstream of the apparatus causing the mechanical shock. The particles puncture the cell membrane and enter the cell, releasing the biological material into the cells.
Spark discharge techniques for accelerating the particles, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,657 to McCabe et. al., includes the use of a spark discharge chamber. The chamber includes electrodes spaced by a spark gap. A movable particle carrier is moved when a spark discharge in the chamber creates a shock wave that accelerates the movable particle carrier such that the movable particle carrier hits another object accelerating the cells for impact with the target cells to be transformed.
However, such mechanical shock techniques have various disadvantages. First, the techniques are generally batch techniques, i.e., they transfer a certain batch of coated or impregnated particles. If more particles than the number of particles in a single batch are to be transferred, another run or batch must be initiated. For example, this may involve reloading or replacing a part of the apparatus containing the particles, e.g., the movable particle carrier described above.
Further, the coated or impregnated particles when positioned on the transfer surface, e.g., such as the movable particle carrier, may be agglomerated, or such agglomeration may occur during the transfer. Agglomeration of the particles may cause undesirable pit damages to the target cells upon impact therewith.
Yet further, preparation of coated or impregnated particles is a time consuming process. For example, it may take one or more days to precipitate coated or impregnated particles out of a solution containing the carrier particles and the biological material to be transferred.
In addition, the overall process is not easily controlled. For example, there is typically only a limited range of impact velocity which the coated or impregnated particles may attain. The type and origin of the cell can influence the velocity necessary for transformation. Thus, devices that can produce a broader range of impact velocities are desirable. Further, for example, the delivery of particles uniformly to the target cells is not easily controlled. As such, target cells located at certain positions may be damaged more easily than those target cells surrounding such positions. For example, target cells located at the center of a batch of target cells may be damaged or killed more readily than those in the surrounding target area when bombarded by coated or impregnated particles by conventional batch gene gun devices. This may be at least in part due to the agglomeration of the particles. As the overall process is not easily controlled, the amount of biological material being delivered to the target cells is not readily controllable.
Other acceleration techniques, such as aerosol beam technology, electrostatic acceleration fields, centrifugal techniques, etc. as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,050; International Publication WO 91/00915 entitled xe2x80x9cAerosol Beam Microinjector;xe2x80x9d and various and numerous other references, may not include all of the disadvantages as described above with regard to the use of mechanical shock. However, such techniques do not alleviate all of such problems. For example, the aerosol technique may allow for a more continuous transfer method as opposed to a batch method, but still has the associated agglomeration disadvantages.
For the above reasons, there is a need in the art for gene transfer methods and apparatus which reduce the effect of such disadvantages as described above. The present invention overcomes the problems described above, and other problems as will become apparent to one skilled in the art from the detailed description below.
A method of introducing biological material into cells according to the present invention includes providing one or more target cells and establishing a spray of substantially dispersed particles including biological material. The substantially dispersed particles have an electrical charge applied thereto such that one or more of the substantially dispersed particles of the spray is introduced into one or more of the target cells.
In one embodiment of the method, the step of establishing the spray of substantially dispersed particles includes dispensing a spray of microdroplets suspending particles. The electrical charge is concentrated on the suspended particles as the microdroplets evaporate.
In various embodiments, the suspended particles may include carrier particles having biological material associated with the carrier particles or the suspended particles may be particles of biological material. The spray may also be a charged spray of powdered biological material.
Further, in yet another embodiment, the step of dispensing the spray of microdroplets suspending particles may include creating a nonuniform electrical field between a dispensing tip from which the spray is established and an electrode electrically isolated from the dispensing tip. The substantially dispersed particles may be directed towards the one or more target cells using the electrode isolated from the dispensing tip.
In another embodiment, the space charge effect of the concentrated electrical charge on the substantially dispersed particles of the spray enable one or more of the particles to be introduced into one or more of the target cells. The electrical charge concentrated on a particular particle is in the range of about 80 percent to about 95 percent of a maximum charge that can be held by the microdroplet suspending the particular particle.
Yet further, in another embodiment of the method, the step of establishing a spray of substantially dispersed particles includes establishing a continuous spray of substantially dispersed particles.
An apparatus for introducing biological material into one or more target cells according to the present invention includes a biological material source including at least biological material. The apparatus further includes a dispensing device operably connected to the biological material source to receive at least biological material from the biological material source. The dispensing device provides a spray of substantially dispersed particles of at least the biological material. Further, the spray of substantially dispersed particles has an electrical charge applied thereto such that one or more of the substantially dispersed particles of the spray is introduced into one or more of the target cells.
In one embodiment of the apparatus, the biological material source includes a suspension source. The suspension source includes a suspension of at least biological material. Further, the dispensing device receives the suspension and dispenses a spray of microdroplets suspending particles of at least biological material.
In another embodiment, the dispensing device includes a dispensing tip from which the spray of microdroplets suspending particles is dispensed and an electrode isolated from the dispensing tip. A nonuniform electrical field is created between the dispensing tip and the electrode. Generally, the electrode, e.g., a ring electrode or a conductive target surface, is located at a position relative to the dispensing tip to direct the spray of substantially dispersed particles towards the one or more target cells. The target and the dispensing device may be movable relative to each other, e.g., a distance between the dispensing device and the target may be adjusted.
Another apparatus for introducing biological material into target cells according to the present invention includes a biological material source including a suspension of at least biological material. The apparatus further includes a capillary tube electrode. The capillary tube electrode includes a capillary tube having a first open end and a second open end with the capillary tube operatively connected to the biological material source to receive a flow of the suspension of at least biological material at the first open end thereof. The apparatus further includes an electrode isolated from but positioned in proximity to the second open end of the capillary tube. A nonuniform electrical field is created between the capillary tube electrode and the electrode such that a spray of microdroplets suspending particles of at least biological material is provided from the second end of the capillary tube. Further, upon evaporation of the microdroplets an electrical charge is concentrated on the suspended particles resulting in a charged spray of substantially dispersed particles such that one or more of the substantially dispersed particles of the spray is introduced into one or more of the target cells.
In one embodiment of the apparatus, the capillary tube electrode further includes a casing concentric with at least a portion of the capillary tube between the first and second open ends thereof. The second open end of the capillary tube extends beyond the casing a predetermined distance. The apparatus further includes a gas source providing a gas to be received between the capillary tube and the concentric casing.
Yet another apparatus for introducing biological material into target cells according to the present invention is described. The apparatus includes a biological material source including a suspension of at least biological material and an electrolyte source for providing a solution. The apparatus further includes a capillary tube electrode having a dispensing tip. The capillary tube electrode includes a first capillary tube having a first open end and a second open end with the first capillary tube operatively connected to the biological material source to receive a flow of the suspension of at least biological material at the first open end thereof. The capillary tube electrode further includes a second capillary tube concentric with at least a portion of the first capillary tube. The solution is received in an annular opening defined between the first and second concentric capillary tubes. Yet further, the apparatus includes an electrode isolated from but positioned in proximity to the dispensing tip of the capillary tube electrode. A nonuniform electrical field is created between the capillary tube electrode and the electrode such that a spray of microdroplets suspending particles of at least biological material is provided from the dispensing tip. Upon evaporation of the microdroplets, an electrical charge is concentrated on the suspended particles resulting in a charged spray of substantially dispersed particles.
Another method for introducing biological material into target cells according to the present invention includes providing one or more target cells, providing a first flow of a suspension including at least biological material, and providing a second flow of electrolyte solution. A spray of substantially dispersed particles including at least biological material is established from the first flow and the second flow. The substantially dispersed particles have an electrical charge applied thereto such that one or more of the substantially dispersed particles of the spray is introduced into one or more of the target cells.